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So My British friends...who is Sir Cliff Richard?


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Opening for Morrisey - you have got to be joking! That is bizarre.

 

Well, my potted summary would be: the 'British Elvis', backed by a group called the Shadows who had instrumental hits of their own and influenced the Beatles ('Cry for a Shadow') and others - I think Hank Marvin had the first Fender Stratocaster in the UK. Anyway, back to Cliff. String of hits in the late 50s/early 60s as a sanitised rock'n'roller. Went into films too. 'Summer Holiday' I remember fondly as a kid. Mid to late 60s and 70s had his own TV show and went MOR. Kind of 'discovered' Olivia Newton John on his TV show and they were rumoured to have a romance, but he is still single and there have long been rumours about his sexuality. British entry for Eurovision a couple of times. Born again Christian and had a revival in the late 70s with Devil Woman (an attempt at cracking the US followed after that charted for you) and 'Wired for Sound'. In the eighties became famous for schmaltzy Christmas singles and being out of fashion - hence the Young Ones reference. I think he is the only person to have had a number 1 in every decade from the 50s to 00s (or something). So by dint of just being around for so long he just kind of became a British Institution and everyone knows plenty of his hits etc.

 

There are actually some of his singles that I have a (perverse) love for.

First, his first number one Move It is good rock'n'roll.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=985tHD1Pw5w

 

 

Second, The Day i Met Marie is fantastic! (with some of his trademark shuffling dancing)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVx81gxzBjM

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWnmn-Nymyc

 

The sound of summer:-

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbajf_rHzys

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uRlgNF7uAU

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I guess he is paying tribute to a guy who was an English pop star before the British invasion. Interesting. It is not a surprise that he is one of the all time biggest record sellers.

 

LouieB

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Look Out!!! Cliff!!!!!!

 

or

 

Oh Cliff / Sometimes it must be difficult not to feel as if / You really are a cliff / when fascists keep trying to push you over it! / Are they the lemmings / Or are you, Cliff? / Or are you Cliff?

The People's Poet lives on!

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Tangential factoid

 

Una Stubbs, one of the girls from Summer Holiday, is Sherlock's landlady. She was also Alf Garnet's daughter in Til Death Us Do Part, which inspired the Monkees' Randy Scouse Git (Alternatitle). She was always closely associated with Cliff as she acted in comedy sketches that formed segments of his TV shows.

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I can hear Neil exclaiming now:

 

"Una Stubbs!! Yeah fantastic. We can all play charades!"

 

Any discussion of The Young Ones warms my heart.

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